AusGeoRef Now Available

ALEXANDRIA, VA - Through a cooperative agreement between the American Geological Institute (AGI) and Geoscience Australia, AusGeoRef, an online database of geoscience references is now available.

The bibliographic database is drawn from the existing GeoRef database, established in 1966, which provides access to over 2.6 million references to journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports and theses. AusGeoRef differs in that it only includes references to Australian geology or work done by Australian scientists.

"The goal is to have a database that would be useful to Australian organizations that may not need the full GeoRef," says Sharon Tahirkheli, Director of Information Systems at AGI.

AusGeoRef contains literature dated as early as 1933, the point at which GeoRef started covering Australian scientific work. As of 2003, Geoscience Australia began a concerted effort to provide AusGeoRef with materials to supplement the collection. Currently there are 67,133 citations included in this unique database and approximately 400 references are added every month.

Among the features available to users are basic and advanced search options, the ability to email, print or download references, links to documents available on the Web, and access either by username/password login or IP address validation. Annual subscriptions to AusGeoRef are available for both individuals and organizations with organization rates scaled to the number of geoscientists employed. Free 30-day trials are available.

For more information on AusGeoRef, the included citations, subscription prices or terms of licensing, please go to: http://www.ausgeoref.org.

The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 43 scientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org.

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